Sanford's Pass on Stimulus Irks S. Carolina

Commerce secretary didn't know where to reach guv

(NEWSER) - Mark Sanford’s recent Argentine excursion wasn’t the first time he had gone missing: His commerce secretary didn’t know where to reach him in June 2008, either, emails reveal. “Need contact number for (Sanford) ASAP,” the secretary wrote to a Sanford staffer on the 28th—a day the South Carolina governor saw his lover, he has since admitted. The email was part of 3,300 pages of communications released to the State. More»

(NEWSER) - The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Mark Sanford must apply for $700 million in federal stimulus money aimed at education that the governor had strenuously resisted, the State reports. The state’s General Assembly had already mandated the move, but Sanford argued it had no authority to do so. Earlier this week, the GOP governor anticipated the court's decision and said he would not press it further. More»

(NEWSER) - The fight over stimulus money in South Carolina is now a federal case. Gov. Mark Sanford sued the state legislature last night for passing a budget that requires him to accept $350 million in federal money for schools, the State reports. Sanford, adamantly opposed to the stimulus cash, says state lawmakers are voiding his constitutional authority as governor. More»

SC Guv sticks to his guns over rejecting stimulus money

(NEWSER) - Angry state legislators and picketing teachers still haven't swayed Mark Sanford. The conservative governor of South Carolina is ignoring opponents and his dipping approval rating, now at 40%, because he's wary of federal stimulus dollars. But when a lone security guard gives his support, Sanford's strained emotions begin to show. "I'm gonna lose it here," he says, a tear running down his cheek. More»

Ambitious conservatives cave on most federal aid dollars

(NEWSER) - Tough talk about rejecting stimulus funds earned some GOP governors—and presidential hopefuls—plenty of headlines, but reality has set in, Politico reports. Under fire from their legislatures, Bobby Jindal, Mark Sanford, and Sarah Palin have all requested funds in the past week. “At this point it looks like everybody’s on board with the program,” said an OMB rep. More»